4 simple ways to improve the holidays at Super Nintendo World

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As a lifelong Nintendo enthusiast and avid theme park fanatic, I can’t help but feel a tad disheartened by this year’s holiday celebration at Super Nintendo World. Growing up with Mario and his pals, I always envisioned the Mushroom Kingdom as a magical winter wonderland during the holidays, filled with snowy landscapes, festive characters, and jolly tunes.

This year, Universal Studios Hollywood had high hopes for a grand festive season, with popular yearly attractions such as Grinchmas and Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter joined by the inaugural holiday celebrations at Super Nintendo World. After more than two years since its debut, the part of Universal Studios modeled after the Mushroom Kingdom was anticipated to host a festive extravaganza like no other.

Regrettably, Super Nintendo World’s holiday festivities seem rather subdued. While you’ll find a snowman featuring Mario and Luigi outside the entrance, some holiday-themed wreaths, trees, and tinsel adorning Peach’s Castle, and a few decorative items scattered around the Mushroom Kingdom, it falls short in comparison to other parts of the park that typically go all out for the holidays.

Reflecting on this, I started contemplating various effective methods for enhancing Universal Studios’ visitor experience. Since it’s an ideal setting to celebrate festivals, making holidays special within Super Nintendo World seems quite feasible. Here are my ideas.

Add holiday-themed characters

In a creative twist, let’s populate Mario’s realm with charming, winter-themed characters – friends and foes alike. Introduce miniature penguin automatons to echo the frosty ambiance of Super Mario 64’s Cool, Cool Mountain. Decorate some strong air blowers to resemble Ty-foos. Scatter an Ice Pokey or two for a touch of authenticity. Infusing Mario’s colder adversaries into the visual landscape should be a breeze.

Regarding character appearances, let’s keep it straightforward. Dress Mario and Luigi in powder blue overalls, indicating they’ve been empowered by an Ice Flower. Why not add a blue dress for Peach, evoking memories of The Super Mario Bros. Movie? Avoid repetitive meet-and-greets; this is the opportunity to introduce something fresh and unique. This also applies to the following point.

Add a custom holiday-themed Mario Kart experience

The Mario Kart track remains consistent as is, which is clear since the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge doesn’t undergo any modifications during holiday seasons.

Translating the ride for a unique holiday ambiance involves temporarily shutting down one of Universal Studios’ well-loved rides for maintenance purposes. However, we can also opt for a more straightforward approach. A touch of festive penguin characters and themed decorations within the ride itself could greatly enhance the holiday spirit.

Instead, let’s make the AR experience within the headset easier to use. Given that Mario Kart boasts popular winter-themed tracks like Frappe Snowland and Sherbet Land, why not offer players a snowy environment, Mario Kart characters wearing winter gear, and some of the classic music tracks from iconic ice stages?

Of course, the entire trip won’t be winter-themed. Nonetheless, Bowser’s Castle and Rainbow Road need to retain their roles as the climactic points of this thrilling adventure. Keeping that in mind, the Mario Kart holiday experience ought to offer something unique and serve as an extra enticement for visitors to visit Universal Studios during December.

Add some holiday flare to Toadstool Cafe

Over the weekend at the park, one of my bigger letdowns was the experience at Super Nintendo World, especially considering the exciting holiday promotions like “special holiday treats” at Toadstool Cafe. However, it turned out that the menu remained the same as usual, which was quite a disappointment.

During December, festive treats would undeniably enhance Super Nintendo World, but there’s another aspect that could benefit from an enhancement. For first-timers at Toadstool Cafe, the unique experience lies in observing the Mushroom Kingdom and the Toadstool Cafe kitchen through a video projection that spans the entire dining area. This allows diners to watch regular Toads going about their daily routines and kitchen staff preparing meals inside the restaurant, all synchronized with timeless tunes from the Mario series. On occasion, Bowser would appear in his airship, causing a stir as he launched attacks with Bullet Bills, prompting the Toads to scatter in response. It’s an engaging spectacle that adds excitement to dining.

Instead of keeping the same style for the holidays, why not switch things up a bit? Let it snow in the Mushroom Kingdom. Have Toads mingle with penguins from Super Mario 64. When Bowser attacks, let’s adorn those Bullet Bills with holiday hats. This way, we can create a more wintery atmosphere and give the feel that the holidays have truly arrived.

Take advantage of the Mario soundtrack

The last point I want to make is that Super Nintendo World makes the most of Mario’s music library throughout the year. Songs from the original Super Mario Bros. all the way through Super Mario 3D Land can be heard throughout this section of the park. With that said, I noted it earlier, but Mario’s library is full of jaunty winter-themed jams.

Stepping into the park, I’m instantly transported to the frosty worlds of my favorite Mario games – from Super Mario Bros. 3 and New Super Mario Bros., to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 3D World, and even the creative ice-themed tracks of Super Mario Maker 2. Just as music elevates the joy of Grinchmas, let’s make sure that Super Nintendo World captures this level of detail in its soundtrack too!

The time spent at Super Nintendo World during the holiday season had its advantages. The merchandise from the 1up Factory was excellent quality, and the festive decorations along Peach’s Castle hinted at what Christmas in the Mushroom Kingdom might look like. As a longtime Nintendo enthusiast, I can see room for improvement, and I think that Universal’s theme park designers share this sentiment as well. Here’s to hoping that additional enhancements will be made in the future to transform Mario’s home into an enchanting winter wonderland.

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2024-12-02 19:27